33 Justice Quotes | Quotes About Justice And Fairness

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Humans have always demanded justice and fairness. Here are 33 Justice Quotes from famous people that will make you think about fairness.

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Justice Quotes 1-20

If you disregard justice once, it’s much easier to disregard justice a second time. It might be tedious to demand justice in the smallest of cases, but such small efforts ensure we live in a fairer society. 

Society will never be entirely fair, of course. That’s a given, considering the definition of fairness is subjective to everyone. But the attempt at genuine fairness can already provide society with a much-needed feeling of safety. 

1. “Justice is the constant and perpetual will to allot to every man his due.” – Ulpian

2. “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.” – Aristotle

3. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

4. “Truth never damages a cause that is just.” – Mahatma Gandhi

5. “Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.” – Blaise Pascal

6. “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” – James Baldwin

7. “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Wiesel

8. “Justice can sleep for years and awaken when it is least expected. A miracle is nothing more than dormant justice from another time arriving to compensate those it has cruelly abandoned.” – Mark Helprin

9. “It is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not be in favor of justice for all people.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

10. “A good act does not wash out the bad, nor a bad act the good. Each should have its own reward.” – George R.R. Martin, A Song Of Ice And Fire: A Clash Of Kings

11. “The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.” – George R.R. Martin, ‘A Song Of Ice And Fire: A Game Of Thrones’.

12. “Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.” – Baruch Spinoza

13. “The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do so for them.” – Lois McMaster Bujold

14. “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.” – Mahatma Gandhi

15. “The worst form of injustice is pretended justice.” – Plato

16. “Nothing ever outrages more than injustice. All the other evils we endure are nothing compared to it.” – Immanuel Kant

17. “In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.” – Albert Einstein

18. “Fairness is the art of pulling in each other’s hair without destroying your hairstyle.” – Gerhard Bronner

19. “An unjust peace is better than a just war.” – Tullius Cicero

Justice Quotes 20-33

Interesting fact: In 17th century England, there was no concept of criminal justice as we understand it today. Instead, the punishment for crimes was determined by the king, who had absolute power over his subjects. This meant that people were often punished without any regard for whether they actually committed the crime. As a result, many people died in prison simply because they couldn’t afford bail.

20. “It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.” – Voltaire

21. “His dignity, the desire for freedom and justice, is inherent in every human being.” – Hans-Dietrich Genscher

22. “A just goal cannot be achieved by unjust means.” – Petra Kelly

23. “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” ― Elie Wiesel

24. “Sometimes, the only way to get justice is to take it for yourself.” ― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

25. “Life, I’ve learned, is never fair. If people teach anything in school, that should be it.” – Nicholas Sparks

26. “The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.” – Bryan Stevenson

27. “Consider none your superior, whatever their rank or station in life. Treat all fairly, or they will seek revenge.” – Christopher Paolini

28. “Well, it may have escaped your notice, but life isn’t fair.” – J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter)

29. “If you still believe in fairness, then you’ve led a very lucky life.” – Leigh Bardugo

30. “We don’t need to be good. But let’s try to be fair.” – Holly Black (The Cruel Prince)

31. “Fairness is not about statistical equality.” – John Bercow

32. “Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. Fairness means everyone gets what they need.” – Rick Riordan

33. “Fair means everyone gets what they need. And the only way to get what you need is to make it happen yourself.” – Rick Riordan

Which of these justice quotes inspired you the most? We’d love to hear from you!

Also, if you have ideas for future blog post topics, make sure to leave them in a comment down below. 

Until next time, Felicity Seeker!